Description
The Du Bois Vineyards Sonop Chenin Blanc 2024 is a Stellenbosch white drawn from old heritage bush vines planted on the slopes of Sonop hill, and it carries that origin with real clarity. This is a Chenin Blanc built less around immediate fruitiness and more around site, texture, and slow-building detail. It shows the kind of depth and tension that old-vine Chenin can offer when vineyard character is allowed to lead, making it a compelling wine for drinkers who value structure, mineral nuance, and cellar potential.
In the glass, it shows a pale gold color. The nose opens with white flowers and fynbos, followed by more stony notes of gravel, flint, and dry thatch that give the wine a distinctly rooted feel. On the palate, apricot and orange peel appear first, then shift toward yellow stone fruit as the wine opens in the glass. There is a mouth-coating richness that speaks to old vines, but it is cut by freshness, pithy grip, and a note of candied ginger that adds lift and spice. The finish is long, spicy, and powerful, making this a natural partner for roast chicken, pork, firm white fish, or richer vegetable dishes where its texture and energy can work together at the table.
Still youthful, this is a Chenin Blanc with clear development ahead of it. It already shows plenty of character now, but its structure and concentration suggest it will reward time in bottle.
In the glass, it shows a pale gold color. The nose opens with white flowers and fynbos, followed by more stony notes of gravel, flint, and dry thatch that give the wine a distinctly rooted feel. On the palate, apricot and orange peel appear first, then shift toward yellow stone fruit as the wine opens in the glass. There is a mouth-coating richness that speaks to old vines, but it is cut by freshness, pithy grip, and a note of candied ginger that adds lift and spice. The finish is long, spicy, and powerful, making this a natural partner for roast chicken, pork, firm white fish, or richer vegetable dishes where its texture and energy can work together at the table.
Still youthful, this is a Chenin Blanc with clear development ahead of it. It already shows plenty of character now, but its structure and concentration suggest it will reward time in bottle.
The fruit comes from two single vineyards planted in 1982 and 1986 on the northeastern slopes of Sonop hill above Koelenhof, at 240 to 280 meters in elevation. These heritage bush vines grow in red and blue shale with fractured clay beneath, conditions that encourage deep rooting, steady moisture uptake, and naturally lifted fruit character.
In 2024, heavy spring rain was followed by persistent False Bay breezes that reduced vigor and lowered yields, resulting in concentrated, bright fruit. The grapes were hand-harvested early in the morning and whole-bunch pressed. Free-run juice and lightly pressed must were transferred to neutral 400-liter barrels, where natural fermentation took place.
The wine remained on its lees for 11 months, then after malolactic fermentation was bottled without fining and with only a light sulfur adjustment. A further 6 months of bottle age allowed the wine to settle and integrate.
Winemaker: Gabriel du Bois
In 2024, heavy spring rain was followed by persistent False Bay breezes that reduced vigor and lowered yields, resulting in concentrated, bright fruit. The grapes were hand-harvested early in the morning and whole-bunch pressed. Free-run juice and lightly pressed must were transferred to neutral 400-liter barrels, where natural fermentation took place.
The wine remained on its lees for 11 months, then after malolactic fermentation was bottled without fining and with only a light sulfur adjustment. A further 6 months of bottle age allowed the wine to settle and integrate.
Winemaker: Gabriel du Bois
For over nine decades, the du Bois family of Stellenbosch served as the silent architects behind some of South Africa’s most respected labels, meticulously growing grapes for other producers. That narrative shifted profoundly on November 12, 2025, with the announcement of their maiden release under their own label: Du Bois Vineyards. The family’s history in the Cape stretches back to 1839, when François Gustave du Bois arrived on the West Coast to collect timber.
Generations later, the viticultural foundation was cemented by Nicolaas du Bois, who purchased the farm Sonop - a name chosen for the specific way the morning light settles on its slopes rather than the fierce winds of the area. Today, the dream of bottling their own land has been realized by Gawie Snr and his sons, Gabriël Jnr and Jacques.
The transition from growers to vignerons was spearheaded by Gabriël Jnr, who brought elite technical expertise home after a five-year apprenticeship under the acclaimed winemaker Chris Alheit. This background is evident in the precision of their debut wine, the Du Bois Vineyards Sonop Chenin Blanc 2024. Sourced from two single heritage vineyards planted in 1982 and 1986, the fruit is a product of north-eastern slopes rising up to 280 meters above Koelenhof. The vines are rooted in a complex geology of red and blue shale over fractured clay, a terroir that imparts a notable minerality and pithy spice to the wine.
Generations later, the viticultural foundation was cemented by Nicolaas du Bois, who purchased the farm Sonop - a name chosen for the specific way the morning light settles on its slopes rather than the fierce winds of the area. Today, the dream of bottling their own land has been realized by Gawie Snr and his sons, Gabriël Jnr and Jacques.
The transition from growers to vignerons was spearheaded by Gabriël Jnr, who brought elite technical expertise home after a five-year apprenticeship under the acclaimed winemaker Chris Alheit. This background is evident in the precision of their debut wine, the Du Bois Vineyards Sonop Chenin Blanc 2024. Sourced from two single heritage vineyards planted in 1982 and 1986, the fruit is a product of north-eastern slopes rising up to 280 meters above Koelenhof. The vines are rooted in a complex geology of red and blue shale over fractured clay, a terroir that imparts a notable minerality and pithy spice to the wine.
